Charges under review in case of Grosse Pointe man claiming he was attacked and racially taunted after crash in Detroit

DETROIT, MI -- The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office is reviewing possible charges stemming from an allegedly racially motivated attack on a 34-year-old man from Grosse Pointe Park after a crash in Detroit Saturday.

The victim, identified by the Detroit Free Press as Nate Szczerbinski, a landscaper coming from the Texas Bar and Grill on Kercheval Avenue where stopped for a beer, admittedly drove the wrong way on Vernor near Chalmers where he collided with another vehicle, Detroit police said.

Szczerbinski told the Freep three men, each black, then exited and beat him for upwards of 20 minutes, stopping occasionally to taunt him with racial slurs.

Detroit Police Officer Adam Madera said, although Szczerbinski never made mention of the beating or racial slurs while at the scene, he told investigators about the attack once at the hospital.

Madera said it's possible Szczerbinski didn't want to reveal the assault to police at the scene in front of his alleged attackers.

Szczerbinski suffered a swollen left eye and damaged eye socket that required surgery to repair.

Police arrested a 20-year-old suspected of participating in the assault on Saturday but had to release him when the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office requested further investigation.

Madera on Wednesday said he believes warrants on at least two of the suspects have been re-submitted and are actively being reviewed. A decision is pending.

This beating comes about two months after a mob severely beat Steven Utash of Roseville after he struck a 10-year-old boy while driving in Detroit and broke the child's leg.

At least on of the five individuals believed to have participated is charged with ethnic intimidation for using slurs during the the onslaught.